cheznousdinners

Baba Ganoush

All versions of burnt eggplant are delicious, I am obsessed! I like to roast mine directly over the flame of my stove for that perfect smoky flavor. If you don’t have a gas stove burner, try slicing yours in half and roasting them under the broiler.

I originally created this recipe for our Jerusalem Dinner last year (find all of our Jerusalem recipes in Chez Nous: Communal Dinners). We originally served it with a buttery Malawach – a combination of flaky croissant and soft naan and paired it with a Tabboueleh and a homemade Hummus with a Lemon Parsley Sauce. I brought the recipe back for the book launch of my first cookbook Chez Nous: Communal Dinners this past Saturday. To make my life easier, we served it with some Buttered Naan which is incredibly easy to make.

Crème Brûlée

Nico loves Crème Brûlée, and I love baking him delicious things! I just refilled my butane torch and have been itching to see if my Crème Brûlée would be improved by using one of the vanilla beans I brought back from Hawaii instead of the vanilla extract I was using previously.

OMG! It. Was. Amazing! Totally worth using a vanilla bean, and you can make vanilla extract out of once used beans by submerging them in vodka for a month or so! If you don’t have vanilla beans, don’t worry, replace the bean with 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.

Chanterelle Mushroom Soufflé

Today, I decided to merge my passion for Chanterelles with my parallel passion for “difficult recipes.” You know, sometimes, I become obsessed with foods because of their famed difficulty to make. First it was the Macaron, then it was Cannelés Bordelais… finally, I worked my way up to the Soufflé. I love desserts, so my first attempts were in the sweet category. I have been revisiting savory soufflés of late with plans to serve a trio of soufflés for my 30th birthday, and I must say that they are much easier to conquer, so start your soufflé journey with something salty. These dishes are really light and delicious. Perfect for brunch or a light dinner. They are one of those perfect foods that fill you up without weighing you down. This recipe is for a mushroom soufflé, but feel free to change up the flavors. How about prosciutto and Gruyère, or spinach and Gruyère, or leek and bacon?

Chanterelle and Lentil Stew

Red wine is delicious with lentils, and I knew these flavors would pair really well with the earthiness of my Chanterelle mushrooms. I was not wrong! This is a delicious dish, and really easy to make. Just combine the ingredients and simmer for a half an hour and you are ready for dinner!

Baked Tomatoes

The rains keep coming, and so do the tomatoes! I am really excited about my harvest this year! I was keeping count up to 90 on my 2 tomato plants, but now I have lost count of how many gorgeous tomatoes we have cooked and eaten this summer. I combined of our tomatoes with some super sweet wild cherry tomatoes from the Waverly Farmers Market that I bought and proceeded to forget about until today. The tomatoes already wilted a bit in the fridge, so I figured I would bake them up to use as a topping on pork or salmon or a spread on a slice of Kalamata Olive and Rosemary Baguette!

Kalamata Olive and Rosemary Baguette

Kalamata Olive and Rosemary Baguette Daria Souvorova 4 hours serves: Makes 3 18 inch loaves Baguettes are my favorite bread to bake and Nico’s favorite bread to eat. The only competition for baguettes in his eyes is a Kalamata loaf. I decided to combine the two, an unconventional, but delicious juncture between Paris and Rome….

Japanese-Hawaiian Fusion – the Dinner

Nico and I spent an amazing three weeks in Hawaii. We camped around Kauai, Honolulu, and the Big Island. We went on crazy, grueling hikes to see amazing sights and swam the oceans and met an incredible breadth of sea creatures, it was so cool! Most of the time, we cooked our own food since…

Mochi Ice Cream

Mochi Ice Cream Daria Souvorova 2 hours active, 12 hours + rest makes: 10-60 mochi ice creams (dough recipe is for 10) Cute! That is the best way to describe these lovely, colorful balls of deliciousness. I love ice cream, but hate it dripping down my hands as I try to finish off my cone….